Don't Do Me Like That

1979 single by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

"Don't Do Me Like That"

U.S. 7" vinyl

Single by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

from the album Damn the Torpedoes

B-side

"Casa Dega" (US)
"Century City" (UK)

Released

November 5, 1979 (1979-11-05)

Genre

Rock
boogie rock^[1]
R&B^[2]

Length

2:44

Label

Backstreet

Songwriter(s)

Tom Petty

Producer(s)

Jimmy Iovine

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers singles chronology

"Listen to Her Heart"
(1978)

"Don't Do Me Like That"
(1979)

"Refugee"
(1980)

"Don't Do Me Like That" is a song written by Tom Petty and recorded by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released in November 1979 as the first single from the album Damn the Torpedoes (1979). It reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band's only Top 10 hit.^[3] The single also peaked at number 3 in Canada. In the UK, despite airplay by Capital Radio in the summer of 1980, the track failed to make the Top 75 chart.

Background

Petty wrote the song and recorded a demo version with his previous band Mudcrutch in 1974. At one point he strongly considered giving the song to The J. Geils Band because he thought it had their sound. During the Damn the Torpedoes sessions he was convinced by producer Jimmy Iovine to include it on the album because he sensed it would be a hit.^[4]

Reception

Billboard praised the song for its "strong lyrical hook backed up by some solid mid to fast rock instrumentation" and its "urgent" vocal.^[5] Cash Box said that it "bounces along to a rock steady, engaging beat, bopping hook, staccato guitar chords with lively production."^[6] Record World called the hook "irresistible."^[7]

The Fort Worth Star Telegram rated it to be the 4th best single of 1979.^[8]

Single track listings

"Don't Do Me Like That" b/w "Casa Dega"
Backstreet 41138 (US)
"Don't Do Me Like That" b/w "Century City"
"Something Else" (Live) b/w "Stories We Could Tell" (Live)
Backstreet MCA 596 (UK 2x7" single)

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1979–80)	Peak position
Canadian RPM Top Singles	3
New Zealand	17
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	10
U.S. Cash Box Top 100^[9]	7

Year-end charts

Chart (1980)	Rank
Canada	37
U.S. Billboard Hot 100^[10]	64
U.S. Cash Box	56

References

^ Molanphy, Chris (October 30, 2017). "Le Petty Prince Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
^ Rotondo, Andrea M. (February 12, 2014). Tom Petty: Rock 'n' Roll Guardian. Omnibus Press. p. 110. ISBN 978-0-85712-868-3.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2011). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles: 1955-2010. Record Research.
^ Bosso, Joe. "Tom Petty: Damn The Torpedoes Deluxe Edition review track-by-track". MusicRadar. Retrieved October 14, 2016.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. November 17, 1979. p. 76. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 17, 1979. p. 22. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. November 17, 1979. p. 1. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
^ Kaye, Roger (January 13, 1980). "The best albums, singles and concerts of 1979". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. pp. 1D, 10D. Retrieved June 18, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Top 100 1980-02-09". Cash Box. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
^ "Pop Singles" Billboard December 20, 1980: TIA-10